Cost of Living & Housing in Chestertown
Chestertown's cost of living centers on housing that runs close to the national median rather than clearly cheap, offset by a real, disclosed low county property tax rate -- layered against Kent County's rising local income tax.
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Learn moreHousing near the national median, not a clear discount
Chestertown's Zillow-wide average home value ran $383,989 (up 1.4% year-over-year), with an August 2026 median listing price of $382,000 ($237/sqft, down 4% year-over-year); the ACS's separately-sourced 2024 median property value ran somewhat lower at $344,000, a real, disclosed cross-source spread reflecting different pricing methodologies rather than a data error (base record).
A real, disclosed low property tax rate -- offset by a rising local income tax
Kent County's effective property tax rate ran a real, disclosed 0.67%, well below both the roughly 1.02% national median and Maryland's own roughly 1.11% statewide median, with a median county tax bill of approximately $1,886. But Kent County's local piggyback income tax rate rose to 3.30% for 2026 (from 3.20%), tied for Maryland's highest -- a real, disclosed trade-off layered on top of Maryland's 10-bracket state income tax (base record).
A real, growing median household income
Chestertown's median household income grew a real, disclosed amount, from $47,047 to $54,346 (2024 ACS), with a 51.8% homeownership rate -- context worth weighing against the area's near-national-median home prices (base record).
Key takeaways
- Chestertown's average home value ($383,989) runs close to the national median -- confirm current comparable-sale pricing directly with a local agent given the real cross-source spread against the ACS's $344,000 figure.
- Kent County's 0.67% effective property tax rate runs well below national and Maryland medians, with a ~$1,886 median annual bill.
- Kent County's local piggyback income tax rate rose to 3.30% for 2026, tied for Maryland's highest -- weigh this real, disclosed trade-off against the low property tax rate.
- Chestertown's median household income grew to $54,346 (2024), though housing costs run near the national median rather than clearly below it.
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